Chinoiserie was introduced to Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. 

With a blend of Eastern and Western style features, furniture, interiors, tapestries and objet d’art carried fantastic motifs depicting idealised oriental scenery with  exotic birds and flowers, figures, pagodas and the most  intricate lattice work.
With the far Eastern trade expanding the vogue for  Chinese art and objects grew rapidly.

Chinoiserie was introduced to me at a much later date, when one day a friend brought a small painted cabinet to my studio. She was going to throw it away but thought it was something I might be interested in. Underneath 5 or 6 layers of thick pink gloss paint there was the slightest suggestion of raised patterns.  Several rough attempts had been made to discover what laid beneath resulting in much damage. 
 If I wanted it, it was mine to do with it whatever I could.

Weeks of work and research followed as I carefully lifted the crude gloss surface, gradually exposing the most exquisite gilt flora and fauna relief’s, raised against dramatic, painted mountain scenes. With much care I was able to keep any further damage to the absolute minimum and almost all the original skillfully laid gold leaf was saved.  That was the beginning of an ongoing and fascinating journey. Working on such a beautiful object had aroused my curiosity. 

More and more research went into the finishes, subjects and techniques that make up the basis of these highly decorative pieces, until I was able to reproduce them accurately, leading to commissions to design and produce large reproduction furniture, and restore valuable antiques, from long case clocks to mirror frames, small jewellery boxes and bibelots.     




                                                 I am happy to restore period pieces or take commissions to design new work ( both private and trade enquiries).     
                                                 Please contact me by email:     gloria@gloriadean.com

                                                  Event.............20th - 22nd July 2012. Chinoiserie course. Please go to links page
                                      for The Anteros Foundation.